Facts

Fayette Arts Festival

The 44th annual Fayette Arts Festival will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Guthrie Smith Park. Admission is free.

“The (Fayette) Art Museum started this to give artists a chance to sell and display their work and not have to put a lot of money out to do it,” said Anne Uhlman, director and curator for the museum. “It helps some of the people get the confidence to do it — there are still some people who are so talented but are too shy to display their artwork, so this is a chance for them to do it in their community and feel more comfortable with it.”

The festival features fine art, folk art and craftsmen's art. Uhlman said fine art consists of paintings, pastel drawings and pen and pencil drawings. Many of these works already come matted and framed. Folk artists, she said, are artists at heart without formal training who use a lot of recycled or found materials, and craftsmen use anything from wood carvings to crochet to pottery.

The festival also gives artists the chance to enter into a juried exhibit.

“If they want to enter to be judged, its cash awards for each division, first, second and third place,” she said. “There is a best in show and there is an artist choice award where they vote on their peers.”

Also included in the awards are a Patrons' Choice Award, Art Museum Purchase and a Young Artists Award. For the Young Artists Award, the judges are asked to pick the top artist from the four young artists featured in the Young Artists' Division.

“It's a lot of different categories, but we also have the young artists' category, and that's where we advertise in our county schools from grade seven all the way up to college and young business (people),” Uhlman said. “It's kind of like a mentorship we do with the artists. They earn tent space, and they can sell and/or display their art for free.”

Students are asked to submit photos of their art to be judged by the Fayette Art

Museum board of directors, much like how a juried art show is judged. This year, four students — Savannah Williams, 14; Zandra Willcutt, 14; Summer Estavan, 16; and Mallory Barrett, 11 — earned a spot in the mentor program and a tent at the festival.

In addition to the artists, The Fayette Arts Festival also features art projects for

children, food vendors and entertainment.

This year, in addition to the traditional tie-dyed Kids Place T-shirts, children will get to participate in three new projects: Cherokee leaf pounding, shaving cream art and winter landscape paintings, which will teach them about color schemes.

“It gives moms a time to shop while children are doing their art activities,” Ulhman said. “We have our local police — we always have someone on duty so no one is nervous about leaving their children while they are looking around. It's very kid-friendly.”

Food options will include Dippin' Dots, barbecue, hot dogs and hamburgers. The Relay for Life team will hold a bake sale throughout the festival to raise money for a local 14-year-old girl who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer.

“(They'll have) homemade baked goods from all of the Fayette County Relay for Life teams,” she said. “All of the proceeds will go to that family.

<p>The longest consecutive running arts festival in the state will showcase the work of more than 100 artists from Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi on Saturday.</p><p>The 44th annual Fayette Arts Festival will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Guthrie Smith Park. Admission is free.</p><p>“The (Fayette) Art Museum started this to give artists a chance to sell and display their work and not have to put a lot of money out to do it,” said Anne Uhlman, director and curator for the museum. “It helps some of the people get the confidence to do it — there are still some people who are so talented but are too shy to display their artwork, so this is a chance for them to do it in their community and feel more comfortable with it.” </p><p>The festival features fine art, folk art and craftsmen's art. Uhlman said fine art consists of paintings, pastel drawings and pen and pencil drawings. Many of these works already come matted and framed. Folk artists, she said, are artists at heart without formal training who use a lot of recycled or found materials, and craftsmen use anything from wood carvings to crochet to pottery. </p><p>The festival also gives artists the chance to enter into a juried exhibit.</p><p>“If they want to enter to be judged, its cash awards for each division, first, second and third place,” she said. “There is a best in show and there is an artist choice award where they vote on their peers.” </p><p>Also included in the awards are a Patrons' Choice Award, Art Museum Purchase and a Young Artists Award. For the Young Artists Award, the judges are asked to pick the top artist from the four young artists featured in the Young Artists' Division. </p><p>“It's a lot of different categories, but we also have the young artists' category, and that's where we advertise in our county schools from grade seven all the way up to college and young business (people),” Uhlman said. “It's kind of like a mentorship we do with the artists. They earn tent space, and they can sell and/or display their art for free.” </p><p>Students are asked to submit photos of their art to be judged by the Fayette Art </p><p>Museum board of directors, much like how a juried art show is judged. This year, four students — Savannah Williams, 14; Zandra Willcutt, 14; Summer Estavan, 16; and Mallory Barrett, 11 — earned a spot in the mentor program and a tent at the festival. </p><p>In addition to the artists, The Fayette Arts Festival also features art projects for </p><p>children, food vendors and entertainment. </p><p>This year, in addition to the traditional tie-dyed Kids Place T-shirts, children will get to participate in three new projects: Cherokee leaf pounding, shaving cream art and winter landscape paintings, which will teach them about color schemes. </p><p>“It gives moms a time to shop while children are doing their art activities,” Ulhman said. “We have our local police — we always have someone on duty so no one is nervous about leaving their children while they are looking around. It's very kid-friendly.”</p><p>Food options will include Dippin' Dots, barbecue, hot dogs and hamburgers. The Relay for Life team will hold a bake sale throughout the festival to raise money for a local 14-year-old girl who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer. </p><p>“(They'll have) homemade baked goods from all of the Fayette County Relay for Life teams,” she said. “All of the proceeds will go to that family.</p><p> </p><p>Reach Ashley Chaffin at ashley.chaffin@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0230.</p><h3>Main stage entertainment lineup</h3>
<p>9 a.m.: Welcome</p><p>9:05 a.m.: Eric Willingham, vocalist </p><p>9:30 a.m.: First Baptist Church Praise Team</p><p>10 a.m.: Bama's Cloggers and Dancers </p><p>11 a.m.: Cody Kimbrell and “Within the Walls”</p><p>11:30 a.m.: Denise Estevan, vocalist </p><p>Noon: Iva (Gardener) and Doug Wooten, keyboard and vocalist </p><p>12:30 p.m.: Arts Festival Awards presented by Mayor Ray Nelson and Festival Chair Anne Perry-Uhlman </p><p>1 p.m.: Fatal Haven </p><p>2 p.m.: Music Corner students</p>